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24 November 2015

Hungarian State Opera House

For some reason, when I spent two weeks in Budapest back in 2008, I didn't do much sight-seeing. I remember seeing things, but I also remember having just stayed in my parents' flat for a bit. Anyway, this is one of the things I didn't see back then. So when I had the chance to spend some more time back in July, I went ahead and visited this building, the Hungarian State Opera House. I paid a visit to this architectural wonder, by doing a guided tour, before I went to the airport to fly back to Berlin.

This opera house is a neo-Renaissance building, located in central Budapest. It is located in prime real estate area, right at Andrassy ut, which is Budapest's main boulevard.

This building was constructed in 1875, by Emperor Franz Joseph. According to the guide, the emperor wanted to have an opera house that is similar to the one in Vienna, so he constructed this one. It is definitely a majestic building, as the following photos show. The above photos show the exterior photos, as well as a couple of photos from the balcony. The photos below on the other hand show the interior foyer, lobby, and staircases. You will notice that they really spent quite a bit of money for this place.

If you thought those are exquisite photos, then wait until you see the main auditorium. It made my jaw drop.

If you want to see an opera, then this is a good place to see one. I was told by our guide that this opera house offers one of the cheapest opera tickets. Here in Berlin, opera tickets would cost more than 50 EUR, definitely more than 100 EUR if you want a good seat. But apparently, tickets for the Hungarian State Opera House are way cheaper than that. So who knows, if I am again in town, I'll try and see to catch a ticket and see an opera.